1. Field
This application relates generally to the field of lighting fixtures employing Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and more particularly to a LED fixture control system employing multiple independent control inputs.
2. Related Art
Generating visible light with LED light sources has disadvantages when compared to older technologies, such as incandescent or fluorescent light sources. When such LED lighting devices are powered from a low voltage DC source, for example in Automotive, RV, off-the-grid solar, Marine, then issues of cost, efficiency, control, and use are substantial obstacles to adoption. Low voltage LED lighting devices using state of the art design methods are expensive, inefficient, difficult to control, and are inflexible in their use.
The invention described herein uses new methods and a new architecture which combines a highly integrated microcontroller with a modular system of external devices to achieve a combination of high efficiency, low cost, high reliability, and operating features which are optimally suited to operation from a low voltage DC source.